History of Bear's Reach

In the time before recorded history, when no Hadradan had set foot on Urovan soil and no moons hung in the night sky, the land that would be Norandor was a land of godless barbarians. An uncountable number of different tribes, some nomadic and some sedentary, populated this enormous land. Many tribes had contact with one another: some fought, some traded and some got drunk, and generally the days moved more slowly and no-one really thought anything was going to change.

Few barbarian tribes were more isolated or less likely to change than those who lived in the area where Bear's Reach now sits. These barbarians revered a nature spirit they called the Great White Bear, that they believed gave them their strengh and strong stomachs.

The first record of the existence of this community was made by the Hadradans in 100 PL, although it had certainly been present for many generations prior to this. The barbarians were deemed to be relatively harmless if not provoked and, although their heretical beliefs flew in the face of Vandanism, there were more pressing concerns than going 500 miles east of civilisation to convert two hundred bearskin-clad yokels.

And so it was, when the Hadradans swept westward conquering all before them, they never found the time to come go to Bear's Reach, and thus the barbarian culture was left untouched for many years. Time passed and eventually the Hadradans were gone and the Norandons were running their own affairs. When Yaddagon I came to power in Uris in 30 LE, many of the old records of the Hadradans were rediscovered. The Urovans that were literate began to work on finding out what secrets they held. Bear's Reach could remain anonymous no more.

The need to explore, to get out into the country and make a name for oneself was very strong in the new land at this time. Great heros of the age - who were only a generation or two removed from barbarians themselves - were continually setting out to do great deeds in the name of their new gods. In 36 LE a hunting expedition left Uris for the land of Bearmen. The goal was to bring back the corpse of the Great White Bear.

The Legend of Scarman Thorn

This twenty-strong band of hunters were led by a suitably heroic and well-muscled adventurer called Scarman Thorn. Needless to say the eighteen hunters that survived the trip to the area soon came to blows with the Bearmen. It was a pitched battle that very few of the hunters survived, and many of those that did survive fled. History does not remember their names. Only Scarman himself remained in the town - a prisoner of the Bearmen who was forced to act as a menial servant for the Chieftain, Ursus.

History has greatly romanticised the situation that Thorn found himself in. The tales of how he seduced the chieftain's daughter, Rhiannon, and became an equal of the chief are events of legend in the Bear's Reach of 204 LE. The fact is that as the seasons passed Thorn became greatly enamoured with the Bearmen's way of life. Although he never renounced his faith in the moons, he saw parallels between the teachings of the barbarians, the druids and the Church of the Land.

News eventually reached Uris of the hunters' defeat and Thorn's capture, and steps were taken to rescue him. A second group, this time fifty strong, headed into the east to stamp out the Bearmen in the name of Scarman Thorn. However, they were not counting on the fact that Thorn did not want to be rescued, or to see barbarian blood spilt.

Scarman Thorn sided with his captors, and used his knowledge of his own people to help the barbarians defeat their enemies. The tale of how Scarman Thorn captured all interlopers and sent them back to Uris with the message to never return to the penninsular is used in modern-day Bear's Reach to justify the town's isolation. Of course, it's more likely that Thorn helped the barbarians butcher his countrymen and those that made it back to Uris were the lucky ones, but the people of Bear's Reach consider Scarman to be a hero, not a murdering bastard, so it's best not to dwell on this point.

Chieftain Ursus rewarded Thorn with his freedom, and gave Thorn the hand of his daughter Rhiannon as a reward. They were married in 37 LE and thus, Scarman and Rhiannon Thorn became the founding couple of modern-day Bear's Reach. Everyone tries to trace their family history back to this marriage, which is very tricky as there were no written records at this point.

The Thirteen Companions

Meanwhile, back in Uris the news that the great Scarman Thorn had "gone native" was greeted with shock and disgust. Plans were drawn to send an army to Bear's Reach and bring Scarman back by force, so he could be given a fair trial and then executed. After all, they were a civilised country now, they could do no less. However, Scarman Thorn was not the most important matter of state, and keeping all the ruling families of Norandor together was a full time job for Yaddagon I and his government. In time the desire to punish Scarman diminished and then evaporated.

But Scarman was not forgotten. In Spring 38 LE, seven seasons after Scarman's original expedition, a young cleric of the Scriveners of Doom named Jedson Valmar began studying the old tales. He decided that Scarman's experiences and the culture of the Bearmen had to be recorded. He determined to go to Bear's Reach and interview Scarman, and offer to chronicle his life. However, he could not go alone.

Despite the advantages of a united country, and ammenities that a large settlement such as Uris provided, not everyone in the growing town wanted to stay there. Barbarian blood still ran in their veins and a desire to strike out away from the oppressive metopolis of almost seven hundred people was strong in many. Jedson Valmar gathered a group of people who knew when they left Uris for the east, they would be leaving for good.

Jedson Valmar gathered twelve like-minded individuals for the journey. Together with the scrivener these thirteen people are known as the thirteen companions of Scarman Thorn. They were his disciples who made the journey from Uris to join him in his new life. Some family names may have disappeared over the years, but all of them are remembered and revered. They were:

• Jedson Valmar, Scrivener of Doom and would-be chronicler of Scarman's life.
• Dael Forester, the guide who would lead them into the east.
• Kilrathy Chandar, a craftsman and woodworker of some skill.
• Marko Chiesa, a priest in the service of Terranor.
• Obadiah Westram, a servant of the god Vítaeous.
• Belroth Goodie, an adventurer quick with his sword and his wits.
• Prathric Lyar, an opportunist of great wit and intelligence.
• Rastin Mulbraen, a follower of the teachings of Zephyre.
• Gul Njedelstrom, a warrior of strength and compassion.
• Llaeric Waveservant, a fundamentalist Sharrashan priest.
• Arok Whiteheart, a man of mystical powers dedicated to the moon gods.
• Sidwé Von Turnsgate, a new noble disenchanted with his life.
• Bilious Belboa, an ostentatious fire cleric with an eye for the ladies.

After a long and arduous journey the thirteen finally arrived in the area frequented by the Bearmen and discovered a wondrous thing. In the intervening year Ursus had died and, after a brief power struggle, Scarman Thorn had become the new chieftain. After ascertaining their peaceful purposes, Scarman welcomed his companions and integrated them into his tribe.

The tribe had changed Scarman, but Scarman had also changed the tribe. As the seasons and the years passed the Great White Bear began to take on a symbolic significance and became blurred with the teachings of Terranor. The moon gods became associated with nature and the elements in the minds of the barbarians and their lives became altered. However, the change took place so slowly, and was so compatible with their previous lives that few of them actually noticed and less cared.

Up to this point the Bearmen had been a nomadic people wandering around four hundred square miles of woodland, shingle and hills at the end of the penninsular. However, Scarman wearied of the travel wanted to create a base of operations, somewhere that he and his companions and their families could call home.

In the Spring of 40 LE, eight seasons after the arrival of the companions and sixteen seasons after he himself had first arrived in the area, Scarman Thorn stood on a shingle beach staring east across the Bay of Bereavement. The River Running was an unending source of fresh water. The Wyrwood was a source of shelter and fuel. The sea could provide all the food they wanted. He commanded his people to clear an area in the forest and the village of Bear's Reach was born.

See Also:

• Bear's Reach Today
• Environs of Bear's Reach